Masdar City will host a two-day street festival as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) later this month. The Festival at Masdar City will be an opportunity for Abu Dhabi residents to spend a fun, educational weekend in one of the world’s most sustainable cities. Taking place January 24-25, the event is expected to attract thousands of local residents eager to learn about living sustainably.

Just 17 kilometers from downtown Abu Dhabi and a short drive from Yas Island, Saadiyat Island and Al Raha, Masdar City’s festival will inspire UAE residents of all ages to adopt more sustainable habits through fun and engaging activities.

Organized by Masdar, the event will contain various areas each with a unique theme and activities aimed at both inspiring and educating children and families. The features include an exhibition area showcasing home solutions for sustainable living, eco stores selling organic arts and crafts, food stalls as well as live music and entertainment for all ages.

Children will be able to enjoy interactive activities that are both fun and educational, such as flower planting, windmill building, eco craft workshops and a secret garden full of fun surprises. Those who enjoy reading will not want to miss the book swap – allowing families to exchange fun and interesting books while encouraging children to reuse and recycle.

The festival will feature a facility allowing residents to safely recycle batteries and electrical goods. Visitors can also benefit from tips on how to reduce energy consumption and be introduced to a range of innovative solutions to improve energy efficiency in the home.

“Masdar City is a place to learn and understand how to balance modern life’s increasing appetite to consume, with a responsibility to protect our scarce natural resources and safeguard the environment,” said Anthony Mallows, director of Masdar City.

“From organic produce, to energy efficiency in the home,” added Mallows, “this festival allows us to bring the reality of a more sustainable approach to life closer to the community and we look forward to welcoming UAE residents to the festival.”

The list of activities includes:

• Little inventors’ competition, that engages children in scientific activity, and encourages them to invent ways to conserve energy or utilise alternative energy sources
• An earth awareness workshop, that allows participants to understand the basics of water pollution, acid rain and the greenhouse effect
• A garbage workshop, offering an introduction to improving the state of the environment through waste reduction and the concepts of reduce, reuse and recycle
• An exploration workshop allowing participants to learn about the interconnections that exist between all the living things in ecosystems, including human beings.
• Windmill making for children
• Flower planting
• Eco arts and craft sessions
• Organic market
• Food and live entertainment
• Recycling center

Open from 11am to 9pm on the 24th and 25th January, the festival will take place at the end of the second edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week – a week-long series of events, conferences and exhibitions that focus on the interconnected challenges and opportunities of sustainable growth. ADSW and its participating conferences and exhibitions will take place in Abu Dhabi from 18-25 January 2014, and will be officially hosted by Masdar.